Bhopal, Nov 12 — A senior retired IAS officer, A.P. Shrivastava, received a rude shock on Thursday morning when he opened his bank locker at the State Bank of India branch located on the campus of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal, and discovered it completely empty.
The officer, who holds the locker jointly with his two daughters, namely Surabhi and Shruti, had approached the branch officials after facing difficulty in operating the lock as according to him the lock was "jammed".
Speaking to IANS, he said he visited the branch with his daughter Surabhi and handed over the keys to bank officials.
When the locker was finally opened, it was found empty and all the valuables that had been stored inside were missing.
“I was taken aback. The locker was completely empty. Everything is gone,” the devastated retired officer said.
He further informed that the locker had not been operated since 2024.
Branch Manager Harish Mehra confirmed the incident. “The customer is a valued customer of the bank. He came and found it difficult to open the locker. Later the locker was opened and nothing was found inside,” Mehra said.
Harish Mehra added that it was possible the customers might have forgotten the contents or that the valuables could still be stored in some other bank locker, though no clear explanation was immediately available.
Police have been informed and an investigation has been initiated.
Investigating Officer Nirupa Pandey of Kamla Nagar police station area stated that the probe is underway and all aspects of the case are being examined.
"A formal complaint from the officer is yet to be received," Pandey said.
The incident has raised serious questions about the safety and security protocols followed for bank lockers, especially at a branch situated within a premier educational institution.
Bank lockers are widely regarded as one of the safest places to store jewellery, documents and other valuables by the common man.
Cases of lockers being found empty after long periods of non-operation often lead to disputes between customers and banks over responsibility and liability.
The retired IAS officer has demanded a thorough enquiry and recovery of the missing items. Bank officials have assured full cooperation with the investigation.
Further details are awaited as the probe progresses. The matter has caused concern among other locker holders at the branch, many of whom are now seeking clarification on the security measures in place.